TL;DR
Turn quiet afternoons into listening time
- Thousands of audiobooks, podcasts and originals
- Listen on your phone, tablet or Echo — also offline
- Cancel anytime
In the randomized EVITA phase 2 trial, 35 participants died during a median 33.6 months of follow-up: 11 assigned vitamin C and 24 assigned placebo. The study’s main measure—growth of precancerous or cancerous cells—was similar between groups, and researchers say the exploratory survival finding needs testing in a larger phase 3 trial.
A phase 2 trial of 109 people with blood disorders found that fewer participants assigned to daily vitamin C died during follow-up than those assigned to placebo, but the study’s main measure—growth of precancerous or cancerous cells—was similar in both groups. The survival result was exploratory, so researchers say it requires confirmation in a larger trial before it can guide treatment.
The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, called EVITA, enrolled participants in Denmark and the United States. They had either a blood disorder that could become cancerous or a low-risk blood cancer. Researchers randomly assigned 55 people to oral vitamin C at 1,000 milligrams a day and 54 to placebo; treatment continued for 12 months.
The primary outcome was whether vitamin C changed the rate at which precancerous or cancerous cells grew. The researchers reported that the vitamin C and placebo groups were similar on that measure. They also observed changes in inflammatory signaling among those taking vitamin C that the report described as aligning with better outcomes. These findings do not establish that vitamin C prevented cancer progression.
During a median follow-up of 33.6 months in the intention-to-treat population, 35 participants died: 11 in the vitamin C group and 24 in the placebo group. Researchers’ exploratory analysis indicated a higher likelihood of survival among those assigned vitamin C. The trial report also described fewer cases of anemia, pneumonia, acute aseptic arthritis and internal bleeding in the vitamin C group, while gastrointestinal problems were more common.
A Survival Signal, Not a Treatment Result
The death counts provide a reason to investigate whether vitamin C could affect outcomes for people with certain early blood disorders. That question matters because the trial included people whose conditions may precede or represent low-risk blood cancer, rather than people being treated for advanced disease. But the result is not proof of a survival benefit: it came from an exploratory analysis, and the trial was not designed around a confirmed survival conclusion.
The primary outcome did not show a difference in cell growth, and the study was relatively small. The reported death counts alone do not establish why participants died or whether the difference would persist in a larger study. Researchers emphasized that the findings are not sufficient to support new treatment recommendations. They do not show that people with blood disorders should start vitamin C supplements or change existing care.
The study also reported differences in several health events, including more gastrointestinal problems in the vitamin C group. Those observations add to the questions a larger trial would need to examine, including possible benefits, harms and which patients, if any, might benefit.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
How the EVITA Trial Was Designed
The rationale for testing vitamin C came from its effect on TET enzymes, cellular proteins that help regulate whether certain genes are switched on or off. The source report says reduced TET activity is common in some blood cancers, prompting researchers to ask whether vitamin C might have a role for people at risk of these diseases. That biological rationale is not, by itself, evidence that supplements prevent cancer.
EVITA tested the idea in a controlled clinical setting, comparing a daily oral dose with placebo over 12 months. The findings were published online by Wiley in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. The report identifies the trial as phase 2, a stage that can provide early evidence but does not replace confirmation in a larger study.
The study was led by the Van Andel Institute–Stand Up To Cancer Epigenetics Dream Team. Its results combine the primary cell-growth measure with additional observations, including the exploratory survival analysis. Those results should be kept distinct: the trial did not find a difference on its main outcome, while the survival result is a signal for further research.
“The EVITA trial gives us a strong rationale to continue exploring if and how vitamin C might benefit people with certain pre-cancer or early-stage blood cancers.”
— Peter A. Jones, PhD, DSc (hon), co-senior author and co-leader of the Van Andel Institute–Stand Up To Cancer Epigenetics Dream Team
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
What the Death Difference Cannot Show
The report does not establish whether the difference in deaths was caused by vitamin C, and the survival analysis was exploratory. It does not provide enough detail here to determine the causes of death or whether specific participant characteristics affected the result. The reported counts—11 deaths versus 24—should not be treated as a proven treatment effect.
It also remains unclear whether the observed differences in inflammatory signaling and other health events will be reproduced, or how the balance of possible benefits and gastrointestinal problems would look in a larger population. The trial’s main outcome showed no difference in cell-growth rates between the groups. Researchers say a larger phase 3 study is needed before firm conclusions can be drawn.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Phase 3 Trial Needed for Answers
The next step identified by the researchers is a larger phase 3 clinical trial to test whether the survival signal and other observations hold up. The source report does not specify when such a trial will begin, its planned size or which participants it would include. Until those details and further results are available, the findings remain an early research signal rather than a basis for changing treatment.
For now, the confirmed takeaways are limited: EVITA compared 12 months of vitamin C with placebo in 109 participants, found similar results on its primary cell-growth outcome, and recorded fewer deaths in the vitamin C group during follow-up. Whether that difference reflects a real benefit—and for whom—remains to be established.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Key Questions
Did vitamin C reduce blood cancer growth in the trial?
The trial found that growth of precancerous or cancerous cells, its primary outcome, was similar in the vitamin C and placebo groups. The study therefore did not show a difference on its main measure.
How many participants died in each group?
During a median follow-up of 33.6 months, 11 participants assigned vitamin C and 24 assigned placebo died. Researchers described the survival analysis as exploratory, so the counts do not establish that vitamin C caused the difference.
Does this trial mean people with blood disorders should take vitamin C?
No. The researchers said it is too soon to make treatment recommendations. The reported survival finding needs confirmation in a larger phase 3 trial.
What side effects or other health events were reported?
The report said gastrointestinal problems were more common in the vitamin C group. It also reported fewer cases of anemia, pneumonia, acute aseptic arthritis and internal bleeding in that group; these observations need further study.
What research is needed next?
The researchers say a larger phase 3 clinical trial is needed to test whether the survival finding is reliable and to clarify potential benefits and harms. No start date or trial details were provided in the source report.
Source: rss
Fall Picks
fall essentials
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
